The Importance of Water Sealing Your Deck

The house that has a wooden deck built alongside it has quite a fun perk. Namely, its occupants can step outside on the deck and enjoy the daylight while still feeling as if they’re in part of the house.

Though we've invented many high-tech materials, wood still remains one of the most natural and beautiful building materials. Wood comes in all shapes and sizes, but is most valued for its patterns, color and grain, which give it a unique charm. However, these same characteristics make wood particularly prone to water damage.

If exposed to precipitations yet left untreated, wood will eventually start to soak up the moisture, causing it to bend and become crooked. This increased humidity may cause the wood to rot while also creating perfect conditions for mildew. On top of that, the constant battering by sunrays will wash out the natural color of the wood.

Warped, rotten, mildewy, washed-out wood not only looks repulsive but can then also become structurally weakened and dangerous for anyone walking on it. The way water affects the wood is quite insidious because the damage done is not drastic and tends to happen gradually, with only minute changes as years pass by. Thankfully, there are solutions for protecting your wooden deck.

When applied to a deck, water sealants create an impermeable thin layer between the wood and the atmosphere. This layer conserves the wood, not only by preventing the absorption of moisture but also by stopping insects burrowing into it, and repelling dust, smoke and debris.

Applying a coat of water sealant on a regular basis will thus help preserve the wood and overall make the deck easier to clean. Water sealants are available as a wide range of products, each of them having a specific purpose and distinct advantages. Whether you want an opaque, varnish-like product that will mask the original color of the wood or a clear water sealant, the choice is correct in both cases.

No matter what product you pick, water sealing your wooden deck will let you admire its beauty and elegance in years to come.